Bloodied Needles
by Naril
Summary: Yuffie finds out something disturbing about Reno in an encounter after dark which may cause the life of the redhead to be shortened considerably...but he does not seem to care. rated for language and drugissues
1. Chapter 1 bloodied needles

_This is a random one-shot written during my work-experience... ehe...I had planned it in a completely different way, but... well you know. Let's say if I get 5 reviews... maybe even 10, I may continue with it and make it a real story... _

_Disclaimer:I don't own anything..._

_Reno: NOOO! Don't I don't like the sound of the title!_

_Naril: Will you shut up and let the reader see this?_

_Reno: NOOO it's EVIL! (tries to press delete button)_

_Naril: Will you sit still in that corner over there or do I have to get Yazoo to beat you up again?_

_Reno: (sits down in corner) (grumble)_

**Bloodied Needles**

* * *

The Edge had not had time to recover from the Bahamut incident. The streets were still littered with the rubble and destruction left from half a year ago. There was not enough electricity for streetlamps without the old mako-reactors, leaving half the city in darkness. 

Therefore, for any bystander, it was impossible to identify the staggering figure stumbling into a dark alleyway. One of the less intoxicated pedestrians left at this time of the night, had kept violet eyes curiously on the drunkard. The shadow followed into the alley, looking about to find the other.

"Well, well, well...if tha's not the brat." A slurred voice chuckled from out of a corner.

Immediately a yellow orb appeared in the hand of the follower, revealing the face of a young woman with black chin-long hair and a bandana on her forehead. Taking another step forward,the light of her materia fell onto filth-covered red hair and half-opened mako-eyes.

"Hello, Turkey." TheNinja said, taking in the appearance of her former enemy.

He sat on the ground, slumped against the half-broken downwall, head fallen forward, appearantly too lazy to lift it and look into her eyes. This only put emphasis on his bloodshot eyes.

Yuffie snorted, crinkling her nose in disgust. "I didn't know you're a fan of loco-weed.

"Do now!" Reno snapped ap at her from the ground.

"No need to attack me, Turkey!" She grinned, not impressed in the slightest.

"Just fuck off 'n' leave me alone!"

Shrugging theNinja turned to walk away, not in the mood to be shouted at by a drunk and drugged Punk. For all she cared, he could just keep lying here and die of the cold. So she decided to turn away and forget about this encounter.

But she froze in her tracks and turned. She really had heard right. The idiot sat there, limply, with a belt tight around his upper arm and searching through his pockets for something.

Although grown up under her father's protection, she was not stupid, she knew what the Turk was up to.

So she watched him in dark fascination, as the redhead took out a, with dried blood covered, needle and attached a tube with a mint green liquid with atrembling hand. Seemingly forgotten about her, he twirled the produced syringe in his hand, staring at the moving liquid.

Yuffie could only watch in disbelief as he grinned whilst slamming the device down towards his skin. When the needle stabbed flesh, the Turk slumped over, to lie on his side, the needle with the empty tube still stuck in the crook of his elbow.

This left the Ninja helplessly staring at the shivering body. Too reluctant to move closer, she knelt on the floor, hands in fists.

"R..Reno?" She asked quietly, when a still quivering hand reached for the needle, pulling it out slowly and then letting it fall carelessly to the wet ground.

Although only the needle had a few drops of fresh blood on it and the entry-wound was barely visible at all, Yuffie felt sick to the bone.

In front of her, Reno attempted to get up on his hands and knees, head turning towards her in a swift motion. Suddenly cleargreen eyes looked up at her for a mere second, before he burst out laughing, allowing himself to fall again.

The Ninja's eyebrows rose gradually whilst the Turk rolled onto his back, still breathless of laugther.

"You should see your face, brat!"

In an instant, fear turned to anger and her face turned as red as his hair.

"Don't get all cross with me now... It's a simple thing."

But she was not listening anymore. "Bastard!" with that she turned again, but curiousity took over.

"What's that stuff anyways?"She nodded towards the empty tube.

He was standing now, as if nothing had happened, grinning. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

Rolling her eyes, she crossed her arms waiting for a real answer.

"It's mako dammit! Mix it with the sap of loco-leaves and you get a nice energy-cocktail for about seven days."

"And then?"

"Then you get some more. ...Only disadvantage is that after a while it wears down on your endurance."

"I'm sure there's more, Turkey. ...I'm sure there's more."Yuffie turned towalk away, knowing full well, that he would not follow her to Seventh Heaven, in his desperation to avoid Denzel, the orphan from Sector7.

Fin

* * *

_Reno: HEY! You made a druggy out of me!_

_Naril:Yea... well ...if enough people review we might get Yuffie to help you with that problem._

_Reno: Yuffie? She can't even help herself against Don Corneo!_

_Yuffie; (hits him round the head) Pfff at least I didn't get beaten up by Yazoo hehe_

_Reno:Well... see I thought I make them think I'm weak...and all..._

_Yuffie: Yeah whatever!_

_Kadaji: (comes out of closet) And why am I not in this story? (holds souba threateningly at Naril)_

_Reno: Because you're dead, dumbass!_

_Kadaji runs back into closet NOOO! MOTHER!_

_Naril: If you want Reno to go to drug therapy donate a review to the Naril-foundation please!_

_Reno: Yeah please! drugs are sooo not cool...apart from alcohol that's...(gets hit round the head by Yuffie and Naril)... just review to the crazy girl will you! (falls on knees and begs)_

_Kadaji: Hey that's what Cloud was meant to do!_

_All: REVIEWS!_


	2. Chapter 2 revelations

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything. _

_Naril: Thank you sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much for the reviews I am soooo happy! (dances in circle)_

_Reno: apart from that she still doesn't know how to do the star on this site hehe_

_Naril: I'm really sorry by the way... but this chapter...well..._

_Reno: She's trying to say I'm not in this chapter hihihi...I'M FREE! FREE LIKE A BIRD! (dances around)_

_Naril: Remember the next chapter is all yours (sticks out tongue at him)_

_Reno: Pffff... _

_Naril: You know what's sad?_

_Reno: (sigh) No what?_

_Naril: DIRGE OF CERBERUStakes place in this timeline... so all my planning was for nothing._

_Reno: ( sarcasm dripping) Well that is really upsetting. I feel so sorry for your dear readers that you are not going to..._

_Naril: BUT not to worry I'll just work it in haha ( victory stance)_

_Reno: (hides in corner) ( mumblegrumble)_

**Bloodied Needles**

Revelations

* * *

As Yuffie entered the bar, she was painfully aware of the smell of smoke and booze. How Tifa put up with this everday she could not guess. Give that she was one of the drinkers, enjoying herself with friends she did not mind but in a sober state all night?

On the wall was a TV with the news on it.

"Yuffie what are you doing here?" Tifa appeared behind the counter smiling at the younger girl.

"Can't I just come and visit some time?"

But the other one put the glass she had been filling down.

"Does Godo know you're here?"

The ninja pouted. "Of course he does!"

"I know you, Yuffie!"

"He does!"

"Well,… then I can call him, can't I?"

"NO!...And stop being such a mother!"

Tifa sighed, taking the glass again.

"What are you looking at?"The ninja snapped at one of the customers who stared at her through dazed pig-eyes. He turned away, confused and ordered another round, but Yuffie did not see this. Her attention was diverted to the news-report.

"Hey Tifa! Can you turn that up?"

"….found another victim of mako-abuse. The addict's dose was considerably above the so-called skull-level, which is the ratio of mako to kill any adult in less than an hour." Here the picture of the speaker gave way to various images of the drug and needles, followed by the image of a corpse of a young woman lying in a unnatural pose on the street.

"The abuse of mako as a drug has increased dramatically for a few years now, but the city is incapable of controlling it. The drug is known to increase perception and agility for a short while, before the side-effects appear. These are still not completely known but it is clear to most scientists, that the usage of the drug gradually decreases the addict's life-energy, causing untimely death in almost all known cases…" Tifa turned down the volume again, a questioning gaze fixed on the ninja.

"You don't know this in Wutai?"

"No."

"It's been around for some time…. I think even before Sector 7 … but back then it was pretty new. The dealers are everywhere, that's why they can't do anything."

The bartender started serving again, leaving Yuffie to her thoughts.

"You've seen someone do it, haven't ya?"

The ninja jumped at the sudden voice behind her. But then she nodded at the old man sitting in the corner. He sighed and patted on the chair next to his, staring into the distance.

"I lost my daughter to that damn stuff."

He took a swig of his beer before continuing.

"Mark my words, kid! Whoever it is, better not get involved with them. They're as good as dead,…… or they end like my little Sophie."

Finally taking a seat next to him, Yuffie shot him a confused glare, impatient of what was behind his talk.

"You see, some victims have a higher tolderance than others. When the skull-level is reached and others die, they carry on living. But…. whilst their bodies do not give in, their minds… shut down." Faltering, the man reached into his wallet, to take out a old crinkled photo. Avoiding the ninja's eyes he handed it to her.

Yuffie looked down at the young girl who had a slight resemblance to Aeris apart from the locks surrounding her slim face and the eyes were brown. On the picture she looked less than fifteen and was laughing and waving at the camera.

"She was the image of her mother." The man explained not looking at her or the picture.

"When she had the collapse……….you wouldn't believe me if I said it is the same girl."

After he downed the beer he found it in himself to face the frozen Yuffie. "The collapse…. Is so painful,… she started to… rip out tufts of her hair because she couldn't bear the agony. The shaking some addicts get if they can't get their dose soon enough is nothing ….nothing compared to the reaction of the body when it comes to a collapse…"

The Ninja swallowed at seeing the big man's eyes fill with tears at the memory. "I couldn't help my little girl….if I tried to hold her down she'd only scream more." Sniffling, his fingers held on tightly to the empty glass.

"After that,…she turned into a helpless doll..."

Again he faltered, looking off into empty space. "She's strong, my girl is,…. But she's still like a three-year old…" Almost with a jolt to pull himself back to reality he sat up straight and faced Yuffie, tears still apparent.

"So the only advice I can give you is stay away. Even if their good friends, remember them the way they used to be and give up on them in the future." Yuffie stared at him dumbstruck. Not that she had plans on getting 'involved' in any way with the Turkey, but the realisation that someone she knew would be that bad off….

"Yuffie?"

Tifa's worried voice shook her out of her reverie and she turned, still wide-eyed to see her friend standing next to the table.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah…yeah I'm fine." Quickly Yuffie got up, kicking over her chair in the process. The man still looked at her pleadingly.

"You don't wanna end like me, kid." He said and then let his eyes wander to Tifa.

"Another one, please."-"Sure, Mike."

* * *

_As you probably realised, I took some freedom with the effects of the drug. I generally took the idea of the effects of mako which are presented during the game and LAST ORDER. Anything else is my own creation._

_Reno: Skull-level? What the hell?...You're not planning on doing this to me are you?_

_Kadaj: Of course she is that's why its a tragedy and then she can write a story about me (grins maniacally at Naril)_

_Naril: I haven't actually decided yet..._

_Kadaj: (draws Souba) so when do I get my story?_

_Reno: Go back into your closet mummy's boy_

_Kadaj: (runs off into closet) MOTHER! HE INSULTED ME!_

_Yuffie: He really needs help..._

_Reno: HEY! So do I! I don't wanna end up as a brainless idiot!_

_Yuffie: (to reader whispering) Not that you'd notice now would you?_

_Reno: I heard that!_

_Naril: ANYWAYS... I'm...off to go on holidays for three weeks which gives me time to write more..._

_Yuffie: Basically she wants more reviews._

_Naril: Yeah! As soon as I get back and find five reviews I'll post the next chapter._

_Reno: (to reader whispering) No! Don't! Save me! I don't like where this is going._

_All apart from Reno: REVIEWS?_


	3. Chapter 3 a normal day

_Reno: (looks through reviews) How did you do that? Five reviews in just a day? _

_Naril: Yeah I know (laughs) I AM SO HAPPY! AND SO PRETTY...(sings)_

_Reno: NOOO! (falls on his knees and covers his ears)_

_Naril: Some people thought I should cut down on these A/Ns hehe (nervous laugh) well... I just get a bit carried away all the time with it...sorry. And also I'm sorry if chapter seem short but that's the reason why i can update so fast...I mean tomorow I'm off to Greece._

_Reno: Yeah... and she makes me come with her..._

_Naril: Well...after I come back in three weeks the readers will want an extra-long chapter i think._

_Reno: yeah...whatever..._

_WARNING: I put the rating up for this chapter. If you do not like violence don't read._

**Bloodied Needles**

A Normal Day

* * *

Simple mission, simple plan. Get in, eliminate target, get back out and destroy the evidence. Of course no witnesses to be left to tell the and Reno would execute the command whilst Elena secured the area.

"Rude can you hear me?" The female Turk's voice sounded through the intercom.

"Yeah, we're through the backdoor." Looking up the bald man sighed at the amount of steps waiting for him.

"Which floor is it?"

-"Twenty."

"You've got to be kidding me!"

"I'll race you!" Reno shouted before dashing off.

No reaction visible under the sun-glasses, Rude followed, gun at the ready, at a slower pace.

A few floors above, Reno already stood by the fire-exit door, waiting triumphantly for his partner, hands in pockets, leaning casually against the wall. What his partner could not see when he arrived, was that the hidden hands were trembling and his pose made on-lookers miss buckling knees.

"Ready?" The redhead asked, taking out his gun, not giving Rude time to realise something may not be right. He missed his EMR but for this mission guns were essential. However, a pistol did nothing to hide shaking hands and his last dosage had been almost a week ago now. So the Turk had the weapon in a white-knuckled grip, not caring about the soreness this would bring his hand. He followed his partner into a immaculately white corridor. He almost snickered. How ironic.

"Do you know what the man did?" Rude wondered as they approached one of the white doors with the number 77.

"No and I don't care either." His fellow-Turk snapped harshly from behind, his eyes fixed on the door-handle.

He did not want to know why they were sent to kill people. It was a job which got him out of the slums and into a cosy little life. Rufus sent them to do something and they did it, they were not in the position to ask questions. Some people died and some people lived. It was not their decision.

"SHIT!"

He shot around at Rude's exclaim, seeing two guards come running towards them, guns at the ready at recognising the two Turks. Reno took a step to stand next to his partner. It was clear these men needed to die. Both raised their weapon in unison and shot the guards straight in the forehead. They dropped dead before even able to take aim.

Without sparing another glance at the bodies, Reno moved to open the door, knowing that although they had used silencers, the shots could be heard inside. Behind him Rude made sure the guards were really dead even if it was unlikely one could survive a shot in the head.

The secretary's room was empty and Reno almost smiled. She must have gone to get coffee. Lucky woman.

He moved to the other side of the room, hand on the handle when Rude came to stand next to him. Nodding at each other, the two men opened the door, stepping in with guns ready to shoot.

The desk was empty, the man standing in front of the window, having clearly opened a safe in one corner of the small room. He cradled as many bundles of paper-money as he could, clearly looking for a way to escape. Gasping in fear, he looked at the two intruders wide-eyed. "No, I…" before he could even finish both Rude and Reno had pulled their triggers and their victim slumped down against the window, to end up in an ackward sitting position. Blood and brain had splattered over the glass and left thick drops on the windows sill.

Reno's eyes fell on a now blood-covered photograph in a delicate silver-frame next to where the man had stood on the windowsill. It was the picture of a young woman, holding a toddler whilst smiling at the camera.

Quickly he averted his gaze and looked the corpse up and down.

"All that money ain't helping him now, yo." He grinned up at Rude, before taking a step forward to reach for the vast amount of Gil still grasped by the cold hands.

"Leave it Reno!" The bigger Turk ordered from behind, already halfway out the door.

"I'm superior to you, man!"

"Not much longer if I report that you decided to steal Rufus' money."

Only reluctantly the younger man obeyed, thinking about the double-dosage he could get instead of the one which left almost nothing from his weekly pay.

"Come on! It makes a nice bonus, yo." He whined but followed outside at the glare he knew Rude gave him through the glasses. Choosing wisely to ignore his attitude, his partner reached up to inform Elena.

"We're done here, coming down now."

–"_Roger. I'll stay on watch until you're out._"

They had almost reached the door, when a quiet whimper could be heard from underneath the Secretary's desk. She had not gone to get coffee. Rude shot his partner a glare. He nearly ruined the mission by not noticing her presence and he wanted to know why. The redhead rolled his eyes in response, strolling casually over to the desk, cocking his gun.

Hidden underneath the piece of furniture he found a young woman pressing herself against the back wall of the hiding place. Big blue eyes, wide with fear looked up at the Turk pleadingly. She whimpered as her gaze locked at the weapon pointing at her. Her whole form wrapped in a smart light-blue suit was trembling, unable to move, whilst her mouth opened and closed with no words coming out to beg for her life.

The shot rang in Reno's ears before she could utter another sound.

Lowering his gun, the redhead looked down at his hands to find them shaking violently. He quickly clenched them both into fists, almost clenching the gun in his left in the process.

Time he got his next dosage.

* * *

_Yuffie: And what now?_

_Kadaj: Now she goes on holiday and writes a story about me!_

_Reno: Yeah,...dream on, you baby._

_Kadaj: (mutters) I'm not going to run to Mother...I'm not going to run to Mother...I'm not going to run to Mother..._

_Naril: I'm getting worried about them..._

_Kadaj: MOTHER! (runs away into closet)_

_Naril: I really wonder what he's doing in there...Well... if you want to find out that andif Reno will meet Yuffie againyou can donate a review hehe..._


	4. Chapter 4 long way home

_Naril: Someone asked me to save Reno... I dont't really know why...he's fine he is with me muahahahaha!_

_Yuffie: Actually,... where is he? I haven't seen him since you came back..._

_Naril: OOOhhhh... damn i must've left him in the suitcase!_

_Kadaj: (comes running out of closet) HELP! MOTHER! The suitcase! It moves and speaks!_

_Suitcase: (hops out of wardrobe after Kadaj) hmmmppppp! hrnnbbmmmllll!_

_Naril: oops...(blushes)_

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**Bloodied Needles**

Long Way Home

Yuffie generally loved her stays in Edge, it meant she was free to do anything. For example, if Tifa was busy at the bar, she could just take a wal through the streets without having her father shout at her afterwards. She knew it was dangerous to stroll through the slums alone, so she watched out. But that did not mean she was prepared for the shaky hand grabbing her grabbing her from out of a dead end.

Caught in surprise she got dragged around the corner before her senses returned. With a quick kick to the knee of her attacker she freed herself and turned to find an all too familiar face grinning at her.

"Gentle, gentle just me brat!" The Turk fell back against the wall and the Ninja noticed that he was still in his uniform. Yuffie rolled her eyes and was about to turn away and leave, when he held her back with a crushing hold around her wrist.

"Remember when I helped you back when you were in Avalanche?" Glassy bloodshot eyes stared the Ninja down as she nodded, bravely ignoring the odour of loco-weed.

"You can pay back now!"

To say Yuffie was scared by his wide-eyed glare was exaggerated, but anyone else would have backed away as quickly as possible.

"What do you want, Turkey?" She asked, eyes travelling down to his quivering fingers still holding her arm.

"I need some Gil!"

-"Don't you earn enough for hurting and killing for Shinra?"

-"3000."

-"You didn't answer my question."

-"2000, and its none of your business!"

-"You're a lunatic!"

-"1000?"

She stared at him for a moment as it sank in that he was begging.

"Do yourself a favour and go home."

"You don't get it do you?" He snapped, hands suddenly grabbing her shoulders in a death grip. "I NEED that stuff, okay?"

Yuffie stood there, trying to show no emotion on her face.

Abruptly he let go of her. "Know what? Forget it!" Staggering, the Turk left the side-street without sparing another glance for the young Ninja.

With an annoyed huff, Yuffie followed him curious to what he needed her money for. Of course it was obvious, but nonetheless she wanted to know for sure and hid behind some dust-bins when the Turk looked about the pedestrians.

Seemingly satisfied that he was not being followed , he turned into another side-street.

"Yo, Clive!"

-"You got the money?"

At hearing the other voice, Yuffie sneaked closer hoping to get a look of the other man.

"If you ain't got the money there's no point coming back!" From her new hiding place between some old boxes, she could only make out their feet.

"Come on, man! You put the price up suddenly! I can't afford it!"

-"Don't try and play stupid with me! I know you're a damned Turk!"#

There was no reply from Reno, just a long and heavy silence.

"You can afford that shit and you're using it up quicker than anyone!"

"Come on! You know I need it, yo!"

-"Not my problem, man."

Yuffie quickly shuffled behind another pile of boxes as the stranger attempted to walk away from Reno. She heard a muffled gasp and the unmistakable sounds of a fight but did not dare to move in.

Then there was a heavy groan.

"Bad luck, Turk! You ain't winning without me giving you some of that stuff, but with no money there's no chance!"

"Fucking arsehole!" The redhead's voice could be heard hoarsely.

"No money, no stuff. Got that, Turk?"

After a pause, Yuffie could hear feet walking away.

"Bloody Prick!" She could hear the Turk mumbling, still from the ground as it seemed. There was a scuffle of fabric against rough ground and then a body collapsing.

At this point Yuffie decided to move and came out of her hiding place.

She found the redhead sprawled out on his back, tremours running through the lanky form. With a split, bloody lip and his right eye gradually becoming purple, it was obvious that he had lost the fight pretty badly.

When he became aware of the Ninja, he grinned, seemingly oblivious to the pain in his lip.

"Changed your mind, brat?" His voice was hoarse, "Too late now. He' gone."

"You really are a lunatic!"

"You could still find him! When he sees the money he will…" A loud smack interrupted him. Glazed emerald eyes stared up at the ninja, the sting of the slap strong enough to distract him from the drug he craved. "Where do you live?" Yuffie asked as calmly as she could muster, sitting back on her heels next to him. Still confused, he sat up struggling to stop his arms from shaking.

"I don't like to repeat myself, Turkey!"

-"Just down the road….but….just gimme the gil!" He almost whined.

-"Which number, Reno?" The ninja asked ignoring him.

-"70." He mumbled, trying to push past her, but collapsing instead. Sighing, Yuffie decided that she had no other choice but drag the redhead to his home. Trying to lift him into a sitting position, she found him looking at her strangely.

"What're you doing?"

The Ninja rolled her eyes and draped one trembling arm around her shoulders, completely limp Reno.

This would be one hell of a long walk.

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Having only passed a big house numbered 58, Yuffie fought hopelessly to keep her balance. More than three quarters of the Turk's weight was in her muscles not used to work without the aid of the drug, trembled and twitched uselessly. The lack of the drug in his system had quickly shown after the effort of the short struggle. By the time they reached number 60 with inhuman strength from the Ninja's side, the redhead's head lay weakly on her shoulder.

"Can't walk 'nymore. Dump me here, brat." She heard the Turk murmur as his legs gave way completely. With Reno's full weight now resting on her, Yuffie contemplated for a moment if it would not have been less trouble for her, if she had just given him the money. Well, it was too late for that.

"Bloody lunatic!" She rumbled under her breath, whilst half-carrying, half-dragging him past number 61 and 62.

"If it wasn't for the damned goodness of my heart…" She continued cursing and using various obscenities she had picked up from Cid until she looked up to find they had made it to the building with the number 70 over the door. It appeared to be one of the few newly built apartment blocks in Edge, almost 30 stories high.

"Oh, holy shit! Which floor are you on, Turkey?" Yuffie shook him none to gently. "Downstairs." The drained man answered. Heavy eyes half-opened, he saw her confused expression.

"S'cheap." His attempt to shrug failed miserably. "Thought Turks could afford better." The Ninja mused as she struggled to open the door with a foot for lack of hands.

"Not me," Reno slurred, unaware of his feet stumbling down the stairs, "used to live on the Top though."

Stopping in front of a white door which was already losing its paint, the Ninja found herself before a new problem.

"Key!" She let go of the redhead without warning, so that he slumped to the floor.

"Where's your key?"

-"Pocket."

Looking the crumpled suit over, she sighed exasperated. "Which one?"

Although violently shaking, Reno lifted one arm to reach into his inner suit pocket. Grimacing at the effort, he fumbled for the item successfully.

"I… need that stuff…" He informed her weakly, giving up, as his hand fell lifelessly to hang by his side.

Refraining herself from answering, Yuffie reached for the key herself, finding that her fingers made contact with a bony chest under the crumpled shirt. How long had he not eaten? After she unlocked the rusty lock, the Ninja moved to get the Turk inside. As she looked for somewhere to dump his prone form, did not only consist of only a room and a bathroom, but was also a complete dump.

There were countless blood-red spots on the coverless mattress and the rest of the bunk in the corner. Sprawled on the floor were empty tubes and she suspected the additional needles in the bathroom. Unceremoniously she let Reno collapse on the mattress and had already turned to leave again, when a groan from behind sent her shooting around, to find the Turk no longer on his back, but rolled into a curled up position on his side. Breathing shallow and irregular, green eyes found hers. "Don't…don't leave, brat!" He choked out. Too scared by the reddened eyes boring into her own violet ones, Yuffie found she could not move.

"There's… a pack… in the bathroom."

The Ninja shook her head, still paralysed. After another heartbeat, she started towards the door.

"Yuff…Yuffie!" She heard the Turk beg, using her name for the first time. Paying it no heed, she went out into the corridor, letting the door slam shut on his own accord.

In an attempt to clear her head, the Ninja leant against the wall nest to it and fingered her shiruken like she always did when she was nervous. She should have listened to the old man. It was no good letting the redhead get to her. He may have helped her a few times and perhaps it looked bad for him, but that was none of Yuffie's business. Breathing in deeply once more, she stood up straight again to leave. The sound of something shattering and a deep thump made her jump. Swearing under her breath, she decided to let it be and finally get out of this place. Collecting herself, she took a step towards the stairs. Another crash could be heard and Yuffie was now desperately trying to ignore any feelings of curiosity or even worry. With a quick shake of the head she moved to the stairs, making her way up to finally leave.

Again she flinched as glass shattered and a pained cry was followed by a series of obscenities. Yuffie could not remember when she had sighed so much before.

Defeated she went down the few steps again. Bracing herself for what she would find,s he brought the hand up to open the unlocked door to re-enter the sump also known as the home of the Turk.

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_Naril: (hides in closet) hmmm... if Kadaj can hide in here this long, so can I... I wonder what he always does in here. (crawls towards the back of the closet) huh? where does that light come from? (crawls closer) (ends up in forest with a lantern in front of her) HUH?_

_Reno: ( runs almost into the authoress sitting on her knees in the snow, kitchen knife still in hand) What the hell? Where are we?_

_Naril: ( turns around, nervous smile on her face) hel...hello Reno...erm... what do you want with the knife? And... erm to answer the question... we're in the wrong fandom. (jumps up and runs back through the closet into her room, Reno scrambling behind her) _

_Ok guys that was a double chappi for the long wait and we all know how it works: my limitbreak is five reviews, then I will attack with more chaps. Bibi till next time._


	5. Author's Note

Author's Note:

Sorry guys I hope I didn't get your hopes up. The reason why it took so long to get this done, is because since the new school year started, I had so many things going on that needed sorting out, especially concerning the person who inspired me to this story and me had some issues which still aren't sorted but I had to leave it behind and that took me some time.

Also, only 3 days ago, a girl in my school died because she got hit by a car and life for us stopped for a short while, so everything is even more muddled up and most of my friends are devastated by what happened as she was well-known and had many friends. I did not know her that well, but it is still terrible thinking about it and I have never experienced something like this before so I need to get back to normality first of all.

I'd like to leave this Author's note with the big plead to everyone, whether you are a driver or a pedestrian, watch out when you're on the road and stick to the speed-limits. I'm not saying the driver who was involved in the accident was too fast, because it appears that it was no ones fault, but I have a car and now go mental at any of my mates who take the piss out of me when I stick to speed limits and don't speed.

Don't do that! You don't only encourage others to be irresponsible, but you may also prevent something like this happening if you take this more seriously. Life is so precious, and many people don't realise how quickly it can be taken.

I hope I'll carry on this story soon.

Thanks for sticking with it and encouraging me with reviews!!! They were greatly appreciated

Naril xxx


	6. Chapter 6

_hey guys i'm back!... well kinda. I have no excuses apart from alevels nd moving but you probably don't want to hear that so just read on:_

_Rated for swearing_

The door closed behind the young ninja and Reno found himself alone.

"Stupid brat!"

Although he could barely co-ordinate his limbs, he drug himself to the edge of his bunk and let himself thump onto the floor, taking his broken bedside lamp with him. He ignored the loud rattle, eyes trained on the half-opened door to his bathroom. Reaching one quivering arm ahead, he started to crawl on his stomach towards the one thing he needed.

Trembling fingers found a wire lying across the floor randomly and held onto it to fight for another few inches. The leverage gave way and he realised that it had not been there at random but was attached to a plug and the only lamp which worked in his hole of a flat. The bulb still worked but now only illuminated a small part of the room and to Reno, it seemed to show him the path to the bathroom, through it's weak beam. The Turk felt nothing but the cramps in his mid-section and the tremble of his limbs.

He needed the syringe desperately.

From the effort, his heart was pounding in against his ribcage and his breath came out in ragged gasps, but the redhead did not notice. Nor did he pay the sweatdrops , running down his face any heed.

With the last control he could muster over his unwilling muscles, he managed to come to lie in the middle of his bathroom, his salvation only a couple of feet over his head in a surprisingly clean cupboard.

With numb hands, he reached for the sink, nails clawed into the material whilst trying to stand on unresponsive, buckling legs. Reaching out in desperation, knowing he could not stand upright for another second, the redhead knocked everything in the little cupboard to the floor with himself. Glas shattered underneath him and around him.

The impact on the floor knocked the air out of him but he did not care for the pain, only muttered a few imaginative obscenities while bloodshot emerald eyes were fixed on the syringe which by some miracle had survived the fall. He swallowed with a dry mouth, trying to reach it. But try as he liked his body would not move any more. Tremors continued to shake him and all he could do was to try and reach with unsteady fingers for the inviting green liquid. Blood was smeared on the floor and it was clear he had suffered a great number of cuts from lying in the middle of a huge amount of shards, but he could not feel it.

Reno heard the approaching footsteps however, only fuelling the desperation of his attempts until feet in high beige boots kicked the device completely out of reach for him.

"Lunatic!" Yuffie muttered quietly, looking down on the bloodied mess in front of her. The Turk brought his shaky hands to his face, hoping she would just disappear if he did not look at her.

"I hate you! I fucking hate you, brat!" The Ninja heard him whimper and knelt down to grab the Turk by his shoulders. When he tried to shake her off, she only turned him onto his back, so she could move him out of the room.

"You're an idiot! You trying to kill yourself or what?"

The Ninja continued to lecture him not aware that Reno was not listening. All he could think about was the mako in the tube just a few feet away.

When she tried to get him on his feet, he fought again, trying against any remaining common sense to reach the drug. But Yuffie would have none of that.

With a medium hard slap he gave up and she supported him to the bunk he owned instead of a bed. "Where's your first aid kit?" she asked, looking the cuts over.

Getting no answer, she went back to into the bathroom to search the still intact second cupboard above the mirror. About twenty plasters in hand,, just in case, she returned. After she chucked them onto the matrace, she grabbed her PHS. Turning towards one of the little windows through which she could make out pedestrian's feet passing by, she dialled a number and waited.

"Tifa? Hey, could you…actually no, forget it. I found a place to stay the night. I'll see you sometime later this week, okay?"

When the Ninja hung up, she sighed, finally having been defeated by circumstances.

When she turned back to the Turk, she found him passed out half draped over the bed.

"Damn you." She muttered under her breath and reached for the plasters and the disinfectant she had found. Flopping down next to the redhead, she tapped her fingers nervously against the matrace until she decided to brush the remaining glass-splinters form his shirt with her gloved hand. Then she put a plaster on a cut on his face, right next to one of the red tattoos. Another one found a place on his neck.

"You're one lucky bastard, Turkey." The Ninja whispered, before turning over still shaking hands to look for more injuries. Before she could do so, her eyes were diverted to a thin but clearly visible scar running across one bony wrist. She found a matching one on the other hand but also big shard of glass stuck in the middle of the Turk's left palm. She winced and hesitantly took a hold of it with two fingers, pulling it out quickly.

It appeared that this reached Reno, because Yuffie found herself facing glassy reddened eyes.

"Don't tell anyone!" He croaked.

_reviews? pretty please?_


	7. Chapter 7

This is not the don from the game!!!!!!!!!

_He was sitting leisurely slumped in the sofa, the Don right next to him, which he inwardly crinched at seeing as the man clearly never heard of personal hygiene. The sofa was fortunately big enough to hold both Reno and that walrus of a man without collapsing._

_He did not move, nor flinch, as the door slammed open with a bang. Two burly men entered, each of them a girl in his grasp. Both looked terrified and were only scantily dressed, most likely not with their consent._

_"Welcome, ladies!" The old man laughed, wine dripping off his enormous moustache._

_Reno just remained sitting, observing the scene. He was waiting for the signal._

_The girls could not be much older than 14 at the most. Not that that was a surprise, in the slums that was a common fact._

_"Me and my friend here, are in need of some entertainment." The Don continued, waving a hand at the passive Reno. „How about you show us something nice?" When the girls whimpered, almost fainting of fear by the looks of them, the fat man flung out his gun from where it had been hidden in his semi-white suit. He pointed it at the girls and cocked it._

_"Now!" he ordered._

_At hearing a terrified whimper, the Turk looked away from the bodyguards he had been observing. One of the girls fell to the floor sobbing loudly._

_"Get up, bitch!" The Don thundered._

_"So which one shall it be, my friend?" He turned to Reno._

_For a moment, the redhead just stared at the two girls. The one which had been crying looked up at him pleading for help. Her big hazel-eyes reminded him of something. And then it hit him. She was the sister of the drug-dealer who had delivered his old gang. "The dark one." He answered, keeping a straight face all the while._

_"You've heard the gentleman."_

_The left guard grabbed the girl and chucked her roughly into the Turk's lap. He grinned at her lazily._

_"How's Clive been, yo?" he whispered._

_She sniffed avoiding his eyes. "Bastard sold me."_

_Without his grin faltering he pulled back his sleeve enough for her to catch a glimpse of the_

_EMR hidden there. Her eyes widened._

_"Fuck!" she mouthed, recognising the Shinra logo. Reno smirked and gestured for her to start giving him the lap-dance the don expected him to get. Idly he raised his hand to activate the transponder in his ear._

_"Gun?"_

_- 'On our way, Rookie.'_

_"Don't call me that!"_

_He was lucky the Don was pre-occupied because the girl he had meant too use as a cover for his actions only stared at him wide-eyed, her brain not comprehending the situation._

_Rolling his eyes at her, he took hold of her waist and lifted her off himself._

_"Showtime!"_

_No sooner than he got up, the door burst open and two Turks in uniform entered the scene. The first one a woman with short blonde hair, behind her a man with two guns at the ready._

_Wordlessly, they shot down the guard beofe they could recover from their shock._

_Reno had gotten involved in hand to hand combat with one of the survivors, knocking the opponent out quickly._

_All this had taken mere seconds._

_As the three assassins turned to the Don, he still sat there dumbstruck, girl crying on his lap._

_Gun wasted no time in delivering a bullet to his head. The girl shrieked and jumped off the corpse. The older male Turk waved Reno over to the two of them._

_"The boss wants to leave the girls. Thinks its good publicity." He whispered, before taking the hysterical one into his arms and carrying her out._

_The redhead nodded and turned to the other one._

_"Come on then."_

_She followed him outside, grinning all the while, which made her look slightly manic with her tear-streaked face._

_"You know what?" She whispered into his ear._

_"I won't tell Clive about your new job, if you make sure I never have to see him again."_

_He grinned at her. "Sure. But what's the big deal for me? Shinra's gonna employ you anyways, so they can keep an eye on you."_

_She looked at him oddly, smirking a little._

_"So you wanna stop smoking loco?"_

_- "I have stopped. I got a job now!"_

_"That ain't no reason. I wanna see how long you cope as a Turk. No job for babies! They give orders, you kill."_

_-"I killed before!"_

_"Yeah, but this is not a little gang-war."_

He woke from the sound of a phone ringing. Blinking, he found that the shaking in his body had not stopped. Still the phone rang and he pushed himself into a sitting position with a certain amount of difficulty.

He found the little Ninja sitting against the wall,, his phone in her grasp. She looked like she was trying to make up her mind about whether to pick up the phone or not by the look on her face.

The drowsiness in his mind gave way to shock. What if it was Tseng? His free weekend was over.

"Shit!" he mumbled leaning back against the naked wall behind the matrace. Exhausted as the was he tried to think fast.

If he did not answer, they would send his partner to find him. Rude was the last person he wanted to know about this.

Before he could find a solution, Yuffie had realised that he was awake and, following an old well-working strategy of hers, passed the problem on. Accordingly, she got up just to kneel back down next to him and held the phone out to him. He reached out his trembling right hand, cradling the wounded left in his lap. He could swear he felt the pulse pounding against the soreness of the cut. His shaky fingers barely managed to get a grasp on the phone and so Yuffie, sick of the ringing, simply pressed the answer button herself and held it to his ear.

After an irritated glare and a glance at the caller ID, Reno knew it really was Tseng and that his worst fear had come true.

"Hello?" He tried to say but had to clear his raw throat first.

'Reno! Why are you not at Work?'

The redhead felt like laughing. Leave it to the boss to be this damn straight-forward.

"Well,…Tseng… see, …" He was interrupted by a violent coughing fit. Scared, Yuffie almost dropped the phone as he doubled over in pain, red bangs hiding his face.

Nonetheless as he had calmed his body and lay down on his side, breathing shakily, he motioned for her to bring the phone back, so he could talk. His hand reached for the phone again and this time he managed to grasp it.

'What's wrong with you?' The voice of his superior asked, sounding rather worried.

"Sorry boss, …looks…looks like I …caught a cold,… silly huh?" He swallowed and hoped the following pause was not a bad sign.

'Sounds pretty bad. You should see someone about this.'

-"No!" Reno sounded almost panicked, "No. I'll be fine, yo. Just gimme a week." Another longer pause.

'Fine,…' The Wutainese did not sound convinced, 'I'll call you on Wednesday to check up on you.'

The other end clicked and Yuffie looked down at the redhead questioningly.

Reno simply closed his eyes and let his head flop down onto the pillow.

The Ninja rolled her eyes and took the phone from his slackened grasp.

tbc

_Again sum insight into Reno's past. I thought it's important as to why he started the drugs and then moved on to hard ones. thanks for pointing out the mistakes **yingyangwhitetiger**. the system doesnt like my marks for speech on the phone lol and i forgot to put flashbacks into italics oops..._


	8. Chapter 8

_Hey Guys, jeeeez it's been ages since i updated last and i have no excuse whatsoever. I actually lost the notebook i wrote this down in and it was a bummer to find...ooopss..._

_Reno: **unenthusiasticly** Yeah, she's stupid like that, yo. _

_Yuffie: **snappy **She also found a new muse so we're stuck in this closet now with Kadaj so those new twats and their stupid car have room. _

_Kadaj: **panicked** Mother! Help me!! They call me a demon and are trying to shoot me with an antique gun aaaaaaaaaahhhhh_

_Oops,... oh well i'll try to get this story finished in due time, but as the guys told you i'm kind of stuck in another fandom at the moment and it's soo hard to not get preoccupied...Anyways: I own nothing, nothing, nothing, SquareEnix is god in the FF-universe and i am nothing and therefore own nothing. _

* * *

Yuffie sat cross-legged on the floor, not knowing what to do. She had planned on leaving as soon as possible, so she could hide back at Tifa's. Now she realised that the older woman would not leave her alone until she gave in and would call Godo. At least here she could hide from her so-called destiny. Speaking of which, her phone decided to ring just at this moment.

Not sparing a glance at the motionless Turk still lying on his stomach, she got up as she saw who was trying to reach her. Damn the old man. She knew from experience that he would send his whole army if she did not answer, just to spite her. To allow at least a minimum of privacy, she went into the smashed up bathroom, broken glass clicking under her boots.

"What do you want?" She snarled into the PHS after having locked the door.

'Don't you dare use that voice on me again!' She heard her father's voice snap, 'How dare you run away again? Don't you ever grow up?'

Exasperated, Yuffie held the phone away from her ear. He could probably scream down the whole of Wutai. When the accusing yelling stopped, she decided it was time to talk now.

"Listen, I don't want other people to tell me what to do!"

The voice on the other end sighed. 'I've told you again and again: That is what you were born to be!'

"I don't care! I don't need all this! I don't need you either! All I need is my materia!"

-'Would you listen to yourself? You're almost nineteen and all you care about is material!' Godo's voice burst through the phone, 'You want to be independent and make your own decisions? Fine. But grow up first! You're still the same selfish, little girl that ran away to become a filthy thief!"

By the end of his tirade she felt the tears piercing behind her eyes. How could he?

"I don't want to talk to you anymore!" She choked out, before ending the call. She barely restrained herself from chucking the innocent phone into a corner and was suddenly aware of the glass she was standing in.

"Damn you too, Turkey!" The ninja mumbled to herself. Grabbing a towel, she tried to clear all the shards into one corner. At least there was no opportunity to get cut up into sushi anymore.

Yuffie was reminded of the scars she had seen on Reno's wrists. She had not thought him to be the type to so such a thing. Deep in thought, she reached for the syringe, holding it with both hands gingerly. The liquid had an eerie glow and she did not understand how someone could happily inject it into one's own bloodstream. It looked pretty poisonous to her. Nonetheless, she found herself hesitant to get rid of the dangerous device.

After years of running from her father, living in the wilderness, she had learnt to follow her instincts and therefore hid the thing between the other shards. As if on cue, she then became aware of an odd sound from outside the bathroom. She had a bad feeling it was not a dog like she hoped it would be.

Swallowing deeply to steady herself, she unlocked and opened the door slowly. Her eyes immediately searched the Turk and found his form curled up in himself, shivering and wincing quietly.

"T…Turkey?" She asked, stepping closer. Emerald eyes shot up to meet hers and she could see how pale the redhead had become. He pointed a shaky hand at a grey bin next to her.

The Ninja understood and brought it to the side of the bunk. Dragging himself towards it in a hurry, his colour changed from white to a greenish tinge around his tattoos. Yuffie turned away when he started to vomit into the container.

She knew from experience that for this, you did not want someone looking over your shoulder.

She let herself flop down on the side of the bunk, avoiding the more or less natural way to get rid of toxic substances.

Nonetheless, violet eyes shot to the sick Turk, when she heard him chocking helplessly. Moving closer, she brought a hesitant hand up to his back, but jerked back when he started coughing again.

Yuffie scolded herself inwardly. The fearless Ninja and Materia-collector, afraid of touching a redheaded Turkey? Was the world coming to an end? Shaking her head in disbelief, she proceeded to rub the back of her former enemy. She remembered her mother doing that, when she had barely been three years old.

It appeared to work. Reno's breathing had calmed if only reduced to a strained wheezing. Still, they were not rewarded with a moment of peace, because he continued emptying the scarce contents of his stomach. As far as the quick glances Yuffie dared to take, told her, there was not a lot.

To Reno, this fact did not matter because whatever it was, it burnt its way up his throat. He would never have admitted it, but he felt rather grateful for the hand on his back. That is why he tried to call her back, when he felt her get up but all he could muster was a little sound that frighteningly resembled a whimper. "I'll be right back." He heard her say before he was left in his misery.

After what seemed to him like of his body trying to rid itself of his digestive system, he came to the conclusion that she had finally decided to leave her enemy alone for the good. For some reason which his hazy mind could not comprehend, this bothered him greatly. Perhaps it was because he would be completely and utterly helpless on his own. On the other hand, she was the reason why he was in this pathetic state.

Had she not been there, he could have gotten his dose, gone to work and happily carried on until… until what exactly? He had planned it all out. Reno knew this stuff would be the end of him. One day, when he had gotten rid of all the obstacles holding him back, he would have gotten himself a nice triple-skull level, just to make sure he would not end up a pathetic rag-doll and then he would get completely trashed, collapse behind some dust-bins and bid the hated world good night.

A fitting ending for someone like him. Born in the streets, died in the streets, just the way it was supposed to be. Contrary to others who shared that destiny, he at least had a few years on top, never mind the price he had to pay for that.

The redhead barely registered the bunk bed sinking as the Ninja returned. An uncharacteristic shy hand placed itself on his heaving back but the Turk did not care to notice. He was merely relieved that she was back. Her other hand held a relatively clean glass of water into his limited field of vision.

"Doesn't matter if it comes back up." With some effort, Reno looked up at her, doubt all over his features. The ninja shrugged, trying without success to seem careless.

"Motion-sickness."

As if he did not need to know more, she offered him the glass again. This time, he decided to just comply and drank as quickly as he dared, afraid his stomach may not approve. On his back he felt Yuffie's hand drawing circles and could not help but wonder who in the higher spheres insisted on his life to be carried on. Why would there be someone who cared whether some slum rat lived or died?

* * *

Yuffie had seen a lot in her time as a material collector and thief, but having a fully grown Turk cling to her as if meteor was back for Round 2, was new to her.

After ridding itself of all its contents, Reno's stomach decided to punish its owner further with a seemingly unending series of cramps. Not long and his whole body had turned against him. At first, the ninja had been watching with no idea of what to do, contemplating on just leaving and informing Tifa. The other woman always knew what to do. Then Godo's words had come back to her. Determination had taken over that she would prove that she could act grown-up and also, would selflessly help a former enemy. Somehow.

However, before she could find a solution to her problem, he had taken action, shifting into a fetal position, his head landing on her lap. Facing away from her body and with his eyes closed, he missed the ninja staring at his trembling back, not sure how to react. He had snatched her gloved hand, to squeeze it tight in pain. Yuffie did not know how to soothe him and hoped the bodily contact would be enough. Painkillers were out of question. She did not know what they would do to him after all the other drugs.

"Hey, brat…" The whisper made her jump. She looked down to see him still shaking, from withdrawal or the cramps themselves, she could not tell. Maybe that was why she ignored the insult.

-"Yeah?"

."Why…why are you still here?"

She raised an eyebrow. Not at the question, but at the fact that she did not have an answer.

"I dunno." She replied after a second of thinking. "Maybe, because there would be nothing that could annoy me as much as you calling me a brat…"

The ninja thought aloud, attempting pathetically to lighten the mood.

Despite the ever present grimace of pain, Reno grinned weakly.

"Or maybe I'm just irresistible." He choked as his quiet chuckle turned into a cough.

"You really are a lunatic." Yuffie grinned despite herself and put a comforting hand onto his arm. It did not seem much thicker than hers, although the Turk was taller and she a girl. A slim one at that.

"When did you eat last, Turkey?" There was a long pause until he slowly turned onto his back, so he could look up at her. Like this, she could make out the sweat dampening his face and the deep rings of exhaustion underneath his eyes, just above the twin tattoos.

"I dunno. Probably in the canteen some time last week." He rasped.

"Don't you eat everyday?" Yuffie enquired, worried now.

"No. …I can't…"

-"Why?"

-"I just can't dammit!" Had he been any better, he would have snapped at her, but he could not muster the strength. He let go of her hand this time when he turned onto his side away from her.

After a while of rubbing up and down his arm wordlessly, Yuffie could not hold back any longer. "Are you hungry?"

-"No." The answer was quiet, tired, so she left it at that and decided that trying to calm the shuddering man took priority. The thick silence was interrupted by a sudden banging against the door, making both of them jump.

"Reno! It's me! Open the bloody door!" Yuffie guessed the voice belonged to Rude and by the sound of it he was not happy. The Ninja was about to get up and open up, relieved that she would be able to leave, now that someone else was here.

"Don't open it!" Reno croaked, weak hand grasping her wrist. When he knew he had her attention, he closed his emerald eyes in tiredness.

She hesitated.

"If you don't open up, I'm gonna knock the door down, you know I will!" The voice from outside thundered and Yuffie was now intent on making this ridiculous scene end.

"Don't…Yuffie…"

She blocked out his begging and pried his shaking fingers off of her wrist. "He's your damn partner. Sooner or later he'll find out anyways." Yuffie explained, avoiding his eyes, before she went to unlock the door.

"Finally!...What the hell are you doing here?" It was impossible for the Ninja to make out his expression underneath the sunglasses, but nonetheless his surprise was evident. As a means of answering she shrugged and stepped aside to let him enter.

Behind her, Reno was struggling to sit up, forcing a grin on his face. "Rude, man! What are you doing here?"

The bald man only stared at his shivering form. "I knew it!" He said disappointment clear in his voice.

Despite being stunned by his behaviour, so out of character for her former enemy, Yuffie noticed Reno's grin disappear abruptly.

-"What did you do this time?"

"What do you mean, yo? Nothing…"

-"You're damn lucky there's always someone around to help you!" The big Turk then turned to the disturbed Ninja, who stared at him wide-eyed, not used to seeing him so furious. She had only ever thought of Rude as stoic.

"What has he done this time?"

Yuffie's eyes flicked between the two men, seeing both Rude's anger and Reno's shame. She decided to find her own answers first. "What do you mean?"

"Has he not told you? I shouldn't be surprised, really…"

-"Rude…" The redhead's voice was suddenly quiet.

"Shut up!" His partner snapped at him furiously, "She's helped you, so she bloody well deserves to know about you trying to take your fucking life!" His eyes fell on the empty syringes…

In her corner, Yuffie could not decide between being scared of the suddenly talkative bald man, or curiosity as to what he was revealing.

"The idiot slit his wrists! If I hadn't been there, he'd have left this damn world!"

He took his sunglasses off, to fix serious eyes on his partner. "I'm gonna tell Tseng this time."

Then he went to the door. "You promised you wouldn't do anything stupid again." Yuffie heard him say, before the big man left.

Only when the door fell into the lock, she turned to the redhead. He sat with his knees drawn up to his chest, face hidden under his arms.

The ninja could see him shiver pathetically. Where had the Reno gone everyone knew? She jumped when he slammed his quivering left fist into the wall.

"SHIT!"

Emerald eyes looked up to the passive ninja who watched him with crossed arms an emphasised relaxed expression on her face. They were more alike than he thought.

With a shuddering sigh he collapsed back onto his bed, almost oblivious to the physical pain of withdrawal for the moment. "They're gonna fire me." He murmured. Rufus had no place for a junkie as his bodyguard and elite.

Yuffie knew that as well as he did. He curled up on his side, wrapping the edges of his blue jacket around himself.

"They're gonna fucking fire me!"

"Should have thought about that earlier!" Yuffie said, but immediately regretted her big mouth. Their eyes met when he glared at her.

"You don't know anything!"

The ninja could see his fingers clawing into the fabric of his uniform.

"You don't shit!" Reno shouted furiously and Yuffie could clearly hear the desperation in his choked words. In the long silence which ensued, none of them was prepared to explain themselves further.

Finally Yuffie had enough. "I know damn well what it feels like if you just wanna get out of your life because it's fucking awful! But if you want to get away, then walk out the bloody door!" As soon as she said it, realisation dawned in her.

"You got problems with killing ….people…right?" She asked, not sure how to call the things he did. Reno hesitated but then nodded, avoiding her eyes.

"Then why are you a Turk?"

-"Cause it's the only bloody thing I'm good at." He whispered.

* * *

_Here ya go a double chapter to make up for the...(oh god) year without update and that means there's another three to go. I have started writing a sequel, the thing is I'm not sure if I'll ever get it one the road. _

_Thanks for sticking with this even though i'm a crappy updater. _


	9. Chapter 9

_Wow...i'm speechless i did not realise this story was so well-received....wowi...thank you sooooo much for all the encouraging reviews...i..._

_Reno: **pops up out of nowhere** oh man! shes gonna do the halle berry routine...._

_Yuffie: shhh! She's trying to thank her reviewers you idiot!_

_Reno: exactly! what about me? do you realise what she did to me??? SHE MADE ME SUFFER AND NOW SHE GETS THE COOKIES!_

_Kadaj: **swishes out of closet with lightning speed** COOKIES????????_

_Yuffie: **sweatdrops** He means figuratively, Kadaj. _

_Anyhow, enjoy! Oh yea, and: I own nothing. (keep forgetting that...)_

* * *

Yuffie had only been fourteen when she had taken her things and left home. Back then, she had been sure that there was no more training needed, that she was grown up. Only when she had met Avalanche had she learnt that she was far from independent.

There had been Aeris, who had taken care of her sick mother all alone; Tifa, the mature one, who had not only a bar and Avalanche to take care of but also Barret's daughter. Compared to them she was and probably would always feel like a grumpy, immature teenager.

Now, she seemed to have found someone who struggled with much more than something like that. She was a little stunned by the display she had just seen. What the hell had she gotten herself into?

She still stood in the corner next to the door and was unsure whether to approach the Turk or not. He had his back to her and she saw him quake and heard the little noises escaping his throat, but could not quite believe it. It made her uncomfortable, to witness this, but she also did not know what to do about it.

After this was over, Reno would probably swear it was due to withdrawal, but right at this moment, there was no way he could escape the emotions slamming into him in almost physical stabs into his chest.

For a moment, he wished Yuffie would just leave, so that no one would see it when he finally lost control. He was in deep trouble. More than that, he was in deep shit and he knew it.

He was going to lose his job and the only people he dared to think of as friends or family, too, by the way it looked. They would chuck him out of his home and he would end up what he had desperately tried, had killed for, to avoid: Alone, without money and with the future of starvation in the streets.

"Fuck!" He choked, burying his face in his pillow. The redhead had long since given up on crying. He had learnt at a very young age that it was no use. It was either kill or be killed, there was no room for any kind of weakness, but now he panicked.

He had barely shown emotion when meteor had been hanging over their heads, just gotten drunk in a bar in Kalm with the shaking Elena on one side and the even more mute Rude on the other. At least he would have died next to comrades, upright and with so much alcohol in his veins that it would not matter whether he survived or not.

A tear leaked into the fabric of the pillow.

He heard the ninja come closer hesitating with each step. He curled up in the far corner of the cot, hoping she would just leave him alone.

"Turkey?" She asked in a quiet voice. Her hand was on his shoulder, but he would not let her turn him over so she could see him cry like a five-year old.

"Don't you got to be somewhere?" He croaked, still not looking up.

"Apparently, I'm meant to be in Wutai, but I don't agree with that. So you're not getting rid of me anytime soon. She was grinning; he heard it in her voice. He mumbled something in response and Yuffie decided she had had enough, grabbing the Turk's thin shoulders and pushing him to lie on his back.

His green eyes were no longer bloodshot, but swollen red from forced back tears. He glared at her, when the Ninja's eyes softened at his pathetic sight. He did not need her pity.

"Damn Rude and his damn cleverness…" He mumbled to himself making her giggle slightly. The sound tied his stomach into knots. This was not funny. His life was in shards and the damned brat thought it amusing.

"Do you actually realise what this means?" The Turk snapped at her, not bothering to look over his shoulder to see her laughing face. "Once a Turk always a Turk! There ain't anything else! I'm bloody screwed and…"

"You're the biggest lunatic I know! I thought you realise that you're bloody killing yourself with that life of yours. You gotta stop it!" She shook his limp form whilst speaking. "Quit wallowing in self-pity you stupid Turkey! Find a new job! You're not gonna lose your Turk-friends if they really care for you…You're not stupid, I'm sure Reeve can help you."

The redhead blinked at her. "Did you just say I'm not stupid?"

Yuffie blushed under her bandana. "Yea…well apart from all that shit you put in your blood." She muttered. Still dumbfounded, Reno stared at her, forgetting for a moment about his dilemma. The ninja turned away, suddenly giggling to herself quietly. When she calmed, he reached a shaky hand out to her arm, trying to get her attention.

She jerked from the touch but he was too tired to care.

"Hey, brat."

She looked over her shoulder.

"Thanks."

-"For what?" Her bright violet eyes stared into his bleary ones with honest confusion, a little frown on her forehead. The Turk tried a little smile, gulping at her gaze locked into his.

"Dunno." He mumbled, breaking the eye-contact and turned onto his side, eyes closed.

"Turkey?"

Emerald eyes opened reluctantly.

"Where do I sleep?"

Sighing, he rolled over with a grunt of effort, ending up on his other side, forehead against the soothingly cool wall. He felt her settle down on the free half of the narrow bunk, so that they were back to back.

For a moment, Reno was content, closing his eyes again. The unnatural warmth of his skin was made a little more bearable and his back was being warmed by the Ninja. He had never considered that body-contact could be a form of comfort.

Yuffie on the other hand, stared into the darkness of the room, wondering how exactly, she had ended up sharing a cot with a Turk on withdrawal. She was not sure what to do and thought of Vincent. He had been a Turk too once, and had paid a terrible price for it. Maybe she could call him in the morning. He had always been a good listener.

* * *

_I don't know. For some reason I don't like this chapter. I wrote it ages ago and I tried to make it better, but it did not work and I needed it as a bridge between the one before and the next.... oh well, tell me what you think..._


	10. Chapter 10 damn drugs

_Reno: Where the hell have you been yo?_

_Naril: ehe....uhm.... work?_

_Kadaj: You don't have a job, you're a student._

_Naril:... oh fine! I kinda had an issue with this chapter...you know... new computer without spellcheck...but now it's here...finally! Enjoy:_

* * *

She did not know what exactly woke her up, but she clearly felt dampness on her back and heard uneven breathing. Quickly sitting up, her gaze fell on the Turk who once more had started trembling and shaking.

"Turkey?" The ninja put a hand on his arm. When there was not response apart from a little whimper, she shook him.

Where was Tifa when you needed her? Slightly panicked, she forced the resisting redhead onto his back, so she could see his almost white face. His eyes were closed tightly, hands cramping into the sheets underneath him.

Feeling rather lost, Yuffie brushed a few sticky red strands from a burning forehead. Now her own hands were shaking.

"Reno!" She whispered around the lump in her throat. When he turned his head away, she grabbed his chin, forcing him to face her.

"Reno, look at me!"

Too slowly for her liking, emerald eyes fluttered open. Yuffie's violet ones widened when she saw the red tinge to them.

"Damn, why didn't you tell me it has gotten worse?" She asked in a quiet voice that surprised her as much as him.

"Wha' you gonna do 'bout it?" He croaked weakly. She ignored him, taking a moment to think.

Deciding to check for the obvious, she determined he probably had a fever, although her knowledge was not enough to be sure.

"Does it hurt?"

Another nod. After clearing his throat, the Turk tried to speak. "Like... when chocobo-head... stabbed me." He managed to choke out. His attempt to smirk failed miserably.

"Where?"

Cold finger touched her hand, still on his chin and weakly guided it to the left side of his chest. Yuffie just stared at his pale face a little longer. She had a bad feeling, a really bad feeling.

Reno wathed her out of dull eyes, until they fell shut. He was simply too burnt out to care for anything but the pain lulling him into blackness. He only realised that she had opened his shirt when her cool hand touched his burning skin.

Yuffie felt her face turn a suspicous red, but tried to ignore it. She had a hunch that she was not looking for an old scar. It did not take her long to realise that his heart was pounding inside his chest. She stayed like this a little longer and gasped at finding ist beat to be unsteady.

"Turkey!"

She lightly slapped his tatooed cheek.

"Do me a faour and don't fall asleep, ok?" She told him when she finally got him to open his eyes once more.

Now she really was panicking with not a clue about what to do. She had promised not to tell anyone, which robbed her of the possibility of calling a hospital. Calling Tifa would just result in ending up in said building and why would her father be prepared to help an employee of Shinra?

That left either Reeve, Cid, Nanaki, Barrett or Vincent. Reeve fell out for obvious reasons. So did Barrett and Cid. They would probably be happy if the Turk checked out permanently for all he had done in the past.

She had no idea of getting a hold of Red and so her best bet was Vincent. This suited her fine because he would definitely keep his mouth shut. She would not even have to ask. Hastily she jumped up in order to find her PHS. A quivering hand found her fingers.

"Where're you goin'?" A soar whisper reached her ear.

"I'm right here, Turkey! Don't worry."

The ninja reached for her bag and rummaged through it for the phone. Quickly dialling the number, she waited. "You better pick up!"

-"Is there any particular reason why you're calling me in the middle of the night, Yuffie?"

"Vinny...erm.... I need your help." The silence from his end told her he was listening.

"See... there's this... friend of mine... he ...is trying to get rid of ....an addiction and ... he's kinda ...going through really... bad withdrawals..." She stopped her stuttering when there was a sigh on the other end.

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Vinny! What am I gonna do?" She spared a glance at the Turk behind her who had curled into a ball. Then she dashed off into the bathroom, closing the door so he would not hear her next words.

"I'm scared he's gonna die!" She whispered into the phone.

-"Even you should be smart enough to call..." –"I promised not to." She successfully ignored that she sounded like a whiney kid.

"You know what to do, Vinny! You're smart! Help me!" She could almost see him scowl at the phone. "Please, Vincent!" She begged again for good measure.

"A small dosage of the drug will probably allow the body to readjust." Without another word he hung up.

Yuffie's eyes fell on the pile of shards she had left in the corner. "Thanks, Vinny." She mumbled to herself, reaching wearily for the syinge in between them.

"Right..." She looked around the room, trying to find a disinfectant or anything she could use to do that. Surprisingly, she managed to find a first aid kit. Thinking about it, with a job like his, the redhead probably needed it.

She grabbed the whole thing and ran back to the room outside.

Reno was still in a heap on the bed, limp hand hanging off the edge. Deciding that he needed to wake up, she shook him a little to get his attention.

"Turkey! I need a little help here!"

But the Turk did not budge.

The ninja groaned inwardly. "You owe me big time after this!" She took off the ribbon she was wearing, tying it tightly around the Turk's upper arm, after she rolled up the dirty sleeves. She had seen people do it before. It could not bet hat difficult.

Grabbing the slack limb, she proceeded to frantically search for a vein in the crook of his elbow. Suceeding, she swallowed hard, trying to concentrate on what she had to do and not think about it.

Before she could hesitate, she adjusted the device in her grip and drove it into his skin. She injected half of the liquid although her stomach revolted.

"You better not die on me, Turkey!" She murmured whilst trying to find a way of getting rid of the device. That was when she noticed all the little half-healed entry-scars.

"Damn, you look like you fell on a hedgehog." The ninja whispered quietly.

"I've looked a helluva lot worse."

The hoarse voice startled her and she looked up into the Turks face. Half-lidded aqua-marine eyes watched the rapid change of emotion on her face. Shock was quickly followed by relief and then anger.

"Don't scare me like that, moron." She bristled and turned away, but did not move from her spot on the bed. She fiddled with her phone for a while just in case.

Fortunately Vincent appeared to have been right. The redhead's breathing evened out and his body relaxed visibly ono the matress. She decided to get uo and find something to eat at hearing the growling of her stomach.

As soon as she moved, a cold hand grabbed hers.

"Where're you goin'?" Reno mumbled.

"I'm hungry!" The ninja answered, her voice having something of a whiney quality. This managed to produce a half-smile on the Turk's face. "I'm not."

He received a glare in return.

"I damn well know you're not! But just cause you wanna starve yourself doesn't mean I have to do that, too." She told him, shaking off his hand before she turned to take her bag from where she had dumped it.

Reno just watched her as she put on the backpack.

"I'll be back soon, Turkey. Don't get any stupid ideas." With that she went out the door.

Sighing quietly, the redhead decided to close his eyes and attempt to sleep. He was grateful that the pain was numbed, but had to admit that it worried him all the same.

One pale hand reached over to the left side of his chest. Listening to the steady beat, he found that whenever he tried to close his eyes, something held him back.

He had never really been scared of dying. Not until now. Somehow it just did not seem all that appealing anymore.

With his hand still pressed to his ribcage, he rolled onto his side, afraid it could stop suddenly if he was not careful. "Bloody drugs!" He mumbled, curling up further facing the wall. He was shivering again.

* * *

_Review?_


	11. Chapter 11 savin' me

_Hi guys! So...er... this is it. The last chapter of Bloodied Needles. I had major issues writing this and removed and reposted it twice or more often, because I wanted to make sure to get this right,especially because it's the first ever written piece of me that I wrote with this song of Nickelback in mind. I'm not even sure it fits. It did in my head...but see for yourself alrighty? _

_Reno: Naril does not own Final Fantasy VII the characters or places and most importantly not me! HA! Eat that you...#gets hit round the head by authoress# Ouch, dammit! _

* * *

Savin' Me

Prison gates won't open up for me  
On these hands and knees I'm crawlin'  
Oh, I reach for you  
Well I'm terrified of these four walls  
These iron bars can't hold my soul in  
All I need is you  
Come please I'm callin'  
all I scream for you  
Hurry I'm fallin', I'm fallin'

[Chorus:]  
Show me what it's like  
To be the last one standing  
And teach me wrong from right  
And I'll show you what I can be  
And say it for me  
Say it to me  
And I'll leave this life behind me  
Say it if it's worth saving me

Heaven's gates won't open up for me  
With these broken wings I'm fallin'  
And all I see is you  
These city walls ain't got no love for me  
I'm on the ledge of the eighteenth story  
And all I scream for you  
Come please I'm callin'  
And all I need from you  
Hurry I'm fallin', I'm fallin'

[Chorus]

Hurry I'm fallin'

All I need is you  
Come please I'm callin'  
And all I scream for you  
Hurry I'm fallin', I'm fallin', I'm fallin'

Show me what it's like  
To be the last one standing  
And teach me wrong from right  
And I'll show you what I can be

And say it for me  
Say it to me  
And I'll leave this life behind me  
Say it if it's worth savin' me  
Hurry I'm falling

And say it for me  
Say it to me  
And I'll leave this life behind me  
Say it if it's worth savin' me

* * *

_There were few guards at the Shinra-warehouse in Sector 6. It had been cheaper to build it under the plate, but that also meant there was a greater threat of burglars. Still the security crew had not been prepared for a whole gang of teens barging in on them._

_There had not even been time for them to take the safety off their weapons before the bunch of half-starved attackers were on them._

_Not paying their fallen obstacles and heed, other than grabbing the discarded guns, the youngsters searched the building, opening every crate and boy they could find._

_"There ain't nothing here!"_

_-"I knew Clive was talking crap, yo."_

_"Whatever, let's get out of here!" Another voice piped up when suddenly the lights came on, blinding them all._

_The one second it took them to adjust their eyes, was enough for a barrage of bullets to take out three of them._

_"Shit! Get behind the crates!" One of the voices of before shouted, but still only half of them made it to the relative safety of the wooden barrier._

_"Damn, you were right, Reno. It was a trap."_

_"No shit? Gimme one of the guns, yo!" The redheaded teen threw back, catching the proffered weapon in midflight. Not taking time to aim, he fired at where he guessed the shots were coming from, the blowback almost knocking him off his feet. A choked scream told him he had at least gotten one of them before he dropped back behind their meager cover. "Man, this sucks."_

_"Clive sold us out, didn't he?" Someone asked._

_"Yea, guess he got sick of waiting for the money we owe him...Had good stuff though, didn't he?" Reno grinned wryly at his own failed joke, turning back for a few shots. Again he could have sworn he had hit something but there were just as many bullets raining down on them as before._

_A searing pain told him that one had hit him in the shoulder. "Suckers!"_

_Falling back down next to the others, he grit his teeth and grasped the injury tightly._

_They were staring at him like deers caught in the headlight. Was he the only one who had expected something like this to happen sooner or later?_

_"We're not gonna get out of here, are we?" A black-haired boy asked, by far the youngest in their group._

_"Naw, probably not." Reno glanced back towards those hidden snipers. In his opinion now was a time as good as any to kick the sack.(?) He glanced at his bullet-wound and poked at the entry. It did not hurt as much as he had expected. Then again he could not remember the last time he had been completely clean. Was there really any point in all of them ending up a body in a bag? Thinking quickly, he thought of the layout of the place he had studied._

_"There's a backdoor down there." He nodded towards a few large rows of boxes. "I'll distract them and you try to get the hell outta here."_

_"What?!"_

_-"Don't be stupid, man!"_

_Smirking at their protest, Reno turned back towards their opponents and emptied the clip, hopefully finishing off a few more of them._

_By the time he dropped back under cover, the others were already making a run for it, after all they all knew that first and foremost you had to save your own skin. He had not expected anything else, so he did not really care. What did bother him though, was that the bullets had ceased coming. Footsteps were approaching his hiding spot. Slowly, trying not to make any noise, his hand d into his torn jacket and pulled out his switchblade._

_He did not dare to turn his head in the direction of the approaching attacker, but waited patiently for them to get closer. As soon as he deemed the distance small enough, he flipped the blade out and tensed. Then, not giving himself time to think, he launched himself at where the assailant was just rounding the corner to his hiding spot._

_He must have surprised him, because he managed to tackle the guy to the ground and even had time to lift the knife before a huge hand wrapped around his skinny wrist and twisted. The knife dropped from his cramped fingers. Reno knew if he did not get out now, he was done for and in a reflex-action bit down with all his might on the muscled arm that had his in a vice-like grip._

_His opponent grunted at the pain and loosened his grasp, which was all he needed to dart away._

_Wiping the blood from his mouth that he had drawn, he rushed towards the door now only a few steps away from his reach. Maybe he would live to see another day after all._

_He had not heard the shot ring, but suddenly he was lying face down on the ground, shaking, and could not get his right leg to support his weight._

_"Little rat bit me!" A deep voice complained from behind him but he was busy trying to get air into his body through the pain to pay much attention to his surroundings._

_"He's quick, that one!" Someone else spoke and he forced one eye open, to see shiny black shoes in his line of vision. He saw no point in trying to move. They were going to get him anyways._

_"Get him up!" This new speaker had enough authority in his words that he flinched visibly. Two pairs of hands grabbed him none to gently under the arms and hoisted him up into a semi-standing position. The redhead winced because it worsened the pain in his leg. Maybe bullets hurt more in different parts of the body, he wondered randomly as he blinked up at two men studying him. One was sporting black hair and a dot on the middle of his forehead. He looked like he was not happy about something. Reno could not stop himself from smirking blearily at that. He thought it looked kind of odd on the otherwise immaculate suit-wearer. The other one was older, gray strands streaking his brown hair and a long scar from his cheek to his jaw and another one along the side of his face. The redhead blinked. They must have been more sloppily stiched than the ones he sported from his experiences with switchblades._

_"What's your name?" The older one asked calmly after a while and searched his eyes. When the deep brown orbs locked with his slightly clouded greens ones, he could not help but feel like he really owed him an answer._

_"R-Reno..." He clenched his jaw, telling himself it was stupid answering any of their questions._

_"Reno...How old are you?"_

_-"I... I don't know..." He rasped despite his earlier thoughts, "does it matter?"_

_The man smiled at him._

_"No, but I wonder what you're going to put on the forms you'll have to fill out. That is if you want to get out of here alive."_

_Reno stared at him, clearly not comprehending._

_"Ever heard of the Turks?" The other one cut in, slightly impatient._

_The teen flinched a little, despite himself. The Turks were bad news. He should have known it was them as soon as he saw the navy-coloured suits._

_"I'm offering you a place as trainee." The older man re-iterated._

_A long silence followed, in which the redhead actually managed to hold the other's gaze for a long while, but in the end he had to break eyecontact first._

_"I got a choice?" He asked, staring at the splatter of blood on the ground where he had fallen just minutes ago._

_"Well...I wouldn't say so, no. Our orders are to eliminate any of the burglars stealing from Shinra."_

_Reno bit his lip in thought. This might be his one chance to get out of here before he ended up like all the other unfortunate bastards who lived their short life on the streets of the slums in Midgar. Maybe he would even see the sunlight._

_"Fine, yo." He muttered and looked back up. "But I got a question."_

_The older man nodded. "Shoot."_

_"How d'you tie a tie?"_

*********

Somewhere along the line he must have managed to fall asleep, because the key in the lock startled him awake.

The ninja skipping in was happily chewing on a double-cheeseburger. The sight of food made him gag, but when his eyes fell on the ketchup smeared on her chin, he could not help but give a choked laugh. She only stared at him, obviously irritated.

"What's so funny, Turkey?" She asked, coming closer. The paperbag she had brought with her she simply placed on the floor.

"Just wondering how exactly you managed to be a princess." He smirked, voice still hoarse but a little stronger.

"Hey, I sure didn't choose my parents." She shot back, rummaging for a paper-napkin in the bag.

"Yea, well would you rather not have any?"

She quirked up an eyebrow at the question.

"Look Turkey, I know some people wish for my life. But I spent a hell of a long time in the wilderness, so I know what it's like to be by myself." She was still looking through the bag of food whilst talking. "I got you some food by the way."

She got the satisfaction of seeing him wrinkle his nose and his pale face turning green.

"I'm good." he muttered feebly and turned away to face the wall again.

"And the whole wilderness-crap, that's different." He spoke as soon as he thought he would no longer be sick on the spot.

"How's it different?" Yuffie asked around another big bite of her burger.

"You had a place to go to if you were in more shit you could handle. Try that in the slums you don't live very long." Reno told her quietly, eyes already falling shut again.

"Godo would never help me out if I was in a jam. You don't know what you're talking about." The ninja grumbled, thinking back to the conversation she had with her father just a while ago.

"Course not, princess. You're life's just a nightmare, hu? All that running around with so much money in your pocket's gotta be real hard." There was more anger in his voice than he had intended, but it was bugging him.

The ninja glared at the still weak redhead in his crumbled and dirty suit. What a sorry sight and he was giving her a lesson on life? she thought to herself. She shook her head. "At least I don't poison myself because I hate my pathetic life!"

"No, you just run away! It's not a huge difference is it?"

"Why did you even drag me into this?!" She snapped at him.

"I didn't. You came all by yourself." His back to her made it impossible for him to see her turn slightly red. "Ain't like I'm forcing you to stay, but then you'd have to go back to your father because you'd have no excuse to stay away. I heard you, ya know." He shot back at that moment wanting nothing more than for her to leave, so that he could have some peace. "Why don't you bloody grow up?"

"Yea well, I owed you one, but you know what? You're right and I'm gonna go now you ungrateful jerk." She snatched her rucksack, marching towards the door, not even sparing him another glance. "See how well you do without my help!" She shouted before slamming the door behind her. She would show him and all the others that she was grown up, that she could take responsibility. Stepping onto the street she wiped at her suspiciously burning eyes, already dialing Reeve's number, perhaps he could help her with that.

***

The sudden silence startled Reno, eyes drawn to the door she had just walked out of. He sat up slowly, staring after her, the bedding rustling with his every move. His arms were shaking, so he leant against the wall for support, letting his forehead rest against it.

"Shit." He hissed.

He knew he had fucked up again.

"Yo, brat! Come back in, I didn't mean it, okay?" The redhead listened for another sound other than his own raspy breathing. She had not left, had she? She had come back last time after all.

Emerald eyes darted around the room, what if he had another one of those episodes? He would be all by himself. And if this time it would not stop?

"This ain't funny anymore! Come back!" He brought himself to shout, but only more silence greeted him. A slight feeling of growing panic formed in the pit of his stomach.

"Yuffie?" He croaked again. There was no one around to hear him. He did not even have anyone on the contact list of his phone who he could call. Rude would never help him now. Not after he had lied to him for so long. He was alone.

Hastily he tried to push himself onto his shaky feet.

"Yuffie!"

The weakened legs could not support him and with a painful crash he tumbled to the floor, chin meeting the floor with a loud smack because his reflexes had not yet caught up. Tasting blood, he figured he must have bitten his tongue or something. Not that it mattered right now.

Tears threatened to spill but not from the impact. He had forgotten how much he hated being alone, having to time to think and reminisce. It was something he could not cope with, tried to avoid like the plague.

"Come back!" He choked out, when the pain in his jaw became bearable. His quivering fist hit the ground with a thud. The young ninja had been the only one to give a damn. She had been with him all this time, when even his partner, supposedly his best friend had walked out on him and then he had to go and drive her out.

He tasted more salt on his lips, if it was more blood or if the tears had finally started falling was not really something he cared to know.

"Shit!...I'm sorry!" It came out in a whimper as he started to crawl towards the door, giving up after collapsing breathlessly. It was useless anyways.

He lay there for what seemed like an eternity when his nose picked up the smell of the food she had left behind. She had believed in him, at least that was what he thought it meant, that she cared enough to bring him food. He turned his head and stared at the brown bag. It still made him feel sick, but he knew he had to force some of it down. He would finish it by himself. He had survived for so long by himself, he would manage a while longer, and then he would figure out what to do.

°°°FIN°°°

* * *

_So,...uhm I realise that this is not exactly tragedy in the classic sense,...seeing as Reno's alive... but I could NOT kill him off. I thought... okay let's have some nice sense of hope at the end of this. Not sure if it worked but it sure makes me happy. _

_Also, I wanted this to be a romance originally, but I thought that it would take alot longer for them to acutally fall for each other. I hope you can see their on their way though. _

_Reno: So I'm free? #evil smirk#_

_No, I'm actually planning on a sequel!! It'll be called SAVIN' ME!!!_

_Reno: #faints in shock#_

_Oops, well I'm trying anyways. I only have the really bad feeling it won't be very original because...well the idea's been done loads of times... but tell me what you think, here's a quick teaser:_

......Yuffie was still a little wide-eyed.

"Well,...didn't expect to see you again." She muttered, looking him up and down.

He flashed a little smile. "Yea...I'm a quitter these days."

-"Good for you. I hope it stays that way...as long as you're on the job. Not that I even need a bodyguard!"

"We'll see about that, princess."......

........

................."Oh, come on! It's safe here! There's far too many people to attack me!"

-"Shows how little you know about this kind of thing."

Sending her a quick glare, he checked their surroundings over once more and then turned towards her with empty eyes.

"The more people you have around, the smaller the chance someone will hear your screams for what they are."

Yuffie only gave a snort, settling back to enjoy the sun some more.

The redhead shook his head. "I don't think you get it."

He grabbed her left wrist which was closest to him and dragged her closer towards him.

She half-heartedly fought his tight grip, but mainly she was just annoyed. The cold glare he gave her was simply countered by her own.

"Listen, princess! I hate to break it to you, but you're a pretty girl. Do you have any idea what happens to pretty girls when they're kidnapped?.....


	12. Author's Note Bloodied Soul

_**Author's Note**_

Naril: Hey people!!!! Just to let you know the Sequel is no up and it's called **Bloodied Soul**. I posted the Prologue and now the First Chapter too!!!!

Reno: NOOOO!!! *runs out infront of her* It's a trap! Don't read it!!!!

Yuffie: Don't be silly!!! It's cool!

Reno: *grins smugly* You're only saying that because you haven't read past the first few chapters! I read her notes and you're not gonna like it! *waves around notes*

Yuffie: What? *grabs them and tries to read crazy scribbles*

Naril: *quickly grabs them back* Oh sshh! You're not supposed to know! *winks at reader* Come check it out!!!!


End file.
